I’m off to my next big adventure – the Amazon jungle!  There is a race down there that is reported to be one of the toughest and wildest in the world.  And I’m the sole doctor!?!  It’s not as bad as it sounds, there is a very experienced paramedic team from the UK that will be staffing the event.  They will probably be able to teach me a thing or two about the jungle.  It was a whirlwind of packing before the event, as usual.  We will spend 10 days out in the wilds so that’s a lot of food, etc to plan for.  I somehow was able to turn this:

Into this:

Thankfully most of the medical supplies will already be down in Brazil, waiting for me.  I only had to pack tape as well as my personal equipment that I like to have for my 24 hour bag.  This is going to be a mega-adventure to say the least.  After our initial 12-hour boat ride downriver overnight, we will be sleeping out in the jungle.  Our accommodations each evening will be in the comfort of hammocks.  Any of you who have read my previous race posts knows my love of sleeping in hammocks.  The runners will have to endure numerous water crossings in addition to just plain slogging through the swamp.  And the wildlife!  I spent some time looking up the flora and fauna of the Amazon, and I have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything there can kill you.  There are poisonous dart frogs, bullet ants with incredibly painful bites, piranha, bull sharks, assassin bugs, pit vipers, electric eels, tarantulas, giant centipedes, anacondas, the Brazilian wandering spider, vampire bats, caiman, and even jaguars,  oh my.  

This may be one of my biggest adventures yet!  I can’t wait for this experience.  I’ll share detailed race coverage upon my return!!!